


handprints of the heart

by daisy_chains



Series: handprints of the heart [1]
Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Soulmates, Episode: s03e06 The Changeling, F/F, When Did that Happen, how do i tag i forgot how to tag
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-22
Updated: 2019-05-22
Packaged: 2020-03-09 10:19:32
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,221
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18914971
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/daisy_chains/pseuds/daisy_chains
Summary: The day of Lord Godwin and Princess Elena’s arrival was meant to go off without a hitch. King, nobles, and servants alike had all prepared tirelessly to make sure of it. And yet.And yet there are things that no one can prepare for.





	handprints of the heart

**Author's Note:**

> Prompt: The first time your soulmate ever touches you, it will leave a mark in the shape of their touch on your body. (From @wlwprompts on tumblr)

The day of Lord Godwin and Princess Elena’s arrival was meant to go off without a hitch. King, nobles, and servants alike had all prepared tirelessly to make sure of it. And yet. 

And yet no one had planned for Princess Elena’s lack of grace. No one had planned for her falling up the stairs, or for Gwen to be the only one close enough to reach out a hand to catch her. No one had planned for a hand-shaped mark of color to bloom across Princess Elena’s arm where Gwen had touched her. No one had planned for a matching mark to appear on Gwen’s. 

“This can’t be happening.” 

Gwen isn’t sure who had said it, her or Elena, but she knows one thing, and one thing only. This _is_ happening and there is nothing anyone could do to stop it. 

She chances a glance at the King’s face and regrets it immediately. His scowl is a death sentence of its own, and she can’t help but stumble away, stuttering out apologies as she turns and flees. Out of the corner of her eye, Gwen spots Morgana frown and step forward, perhaps to come after her, but is stilled by Uther’s raised hand. 

_This can’t be happening_ , she thinks. But it is, and there is nothing she wouldn’t do to stop it. 

◈

Evening finds her sitting in her home, huddled on her bed. Gwen half-expects Uther to have sent guards to arrest her. She’s been accused of magic enough times before, she is certain he would use it against her now, claiming she has manipulated the laws of the earth to forge this unnatural pairing. 

There haven’t been any guards yet. 

“Gwen?” A voice calls, quiet. Hesitant. She startles briefly, shaking away thoughts of a pyre in favor of a welcome distraction. 

“You can come in, Merlin.” 

Though she doesn’t move from her spot, she hears the door creak open as Merlin shuffles into the house.

“Is there anything you need me to do?” He asks, voice still low, as though he fears if he speaks too loud she’ll shatter like a fallen statue. 

“Put me out of my misery?” She responds, and it isn’t fair to him, to either of them, really, for her to joke about such things. But she can’t quite shove the smell of burnt flesh or the screams of the damned from her mind. 

The screams are silenced by a hand on hers. 

“Don’t do that.” 

“Sorry.”

“Not that,” Merlin says. “I mean the whole -”

“I’m going to die and until then, I’m going to keep remembering the deaths of everyone who’s been executed the same way?”

“Yeah, that.” 

Gwen sits up, shuffling to the side to make room for Merlin. He wraps an arm around her as he sits, and she buries her face in his shoulder. If his shoulder dampens from her tears, he doesn’t mention it. 

◈

“Who were they?” Gwen asks sometime later. They haven’t moved from off the bed, though they’ve shifted so Gwen lays with her head in Merlin’s lap as he leans back against the wall. Merlin hums questioningly as he runs a hand through her hair. 

“They who?” 

“Your mark.” 

The hand in her hair falters briefly. 

“She was a druid.” 

Gwen doesn’t ask anything more. 

◈

“Do you want to talk to her?”

“What?” 

“Princess Elena. She’s your soulmate, after all.” 

“Oh, but I’m sure she wouldn’t want anything to do with me.” 

Merlin scoffs. “Really? ‘Cause she looked like _she_ wanted to be the one to go after you when you ran off.”

Gwen doesn’t respond, is not sure _how_ to respond. Does she want to see Elena? Does she have a choice? 

“You don’t have to decide now,” Merlin says, “but I think it would be a good idea.” 

“Thank you, Merlin.” 

◈

She doesn’t really remember agreeing to meet Elena, but the next morning, before she can so much as make breakfast or wake Merlin from where he had fallen asleep while talking last night, one of Godwin’s knights knocks on her door and informs her that Elena would like to see her.

“Only if you wish to, she said.”

Gwen hesitates, glances over her shoulder at Merlin, then back to the still-closed door.

“Give me a moment to dress, and I will go.”

“Very well.”

Merlin does not wake as she moves behind the screen to change, nor does he wake when she tucks the blanket around him and leaves a note lying on the bed beside him.

As she slips out the door, she makes sure to place herself between Merlin and the guard, hiding her friend from sight. There’s enough trouble surrounding her, and she does not need any rumors spreading about something happening between the two of them.

“It’s not dawn yet,” Gwen says, mostly to herself. She had not realized how early it truly was.

“Indeed,” the knight answers. Despite the sword at his hip, he is dressed in casual clothes of a commoner, rather than the chainmail and cloak identifying him as one of Godwin’s. Had she not seen him among the incoming party yesterday, she would not be able to pick him out from any of Camelot’s men. “The Princess wished to keep this meeting discreet, for your sake.”

 _My sake_? She wonders, but keeps the thought to herself. Then, without warning, the knight takes off, leading the way back to the castle.

◈ 

“Princess Elena, the Lady Guinevere is here to see you.”

“Oh, I’m not a lady –”

“Come in!”

The knight opens the door and gestures for her to enter, closing the door after her. In the room, Elena stands at the head of the table, wringing her hands in front of her, her riding clothes stained with fresh mud.

“Did you take a ride, my lady?” Gwen asks, for lack of anything else to say.

“What?” Elena frowns, then glances down at her clothing. “Oh! Yes, I did. Good way to clear the mind.”

“Of course.”

Elena hesitates, eyes darting around the room as Gwen stares at the floor.

“This is just a whole mess,” Elena says eventually.

“I’m sorry, my lady.”

“Sorry?”

Gwen keeps her eyes to the ground, stifling the urge to step back as the Princess rounds the table to stand before her.

“There’s nothing to be sorry about.” Elena hesitates, then takes Gwen’s hands in hers. “You did nothing wrong.”

“I’m not sure everyone will agree with that.”

“Well, everyone can shove it. They wish for me to marry a man I don’t know, but they cannot stop me from taking advantage of a far better opportunity. If you are open to it, of course. I would never force you to do something you’re unwilling to do.”

“Open to what? I’m sorry, my lady, but we’ve only just met. And – and I’m only a servant.”

Elena pulls Gwen forward gently, guiding her to a seat before sitting next to her.

“That’s just it, Guinevere. What’s better than the chance to get to know your soul marked?”

And, well, Gwen can’t answer that, can she? She rubs a hand over the lilac purple skin where Elena had touched her for the first time.

“It’s Gwen, my lady. Not Guinevere.”

“Alright Gwen, as long as you call me Elena. I can’t stand all the formality.” 

**Author's Note:**

> if I have to fill the Gwen/Elena tag on my own then I guess it's a good thing I enjoy reading my own fics
> 
> y'all I'm not even sure if half of this makes sense I've read it too many times at this point to tell but I'm not gonna keep sitting on this so here ya go.


End file.
